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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. kid — to tease
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. dip — to sink
  14. board — a committee
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kid — child
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. snap — to click
  19. content — happy
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com